The U.S. on Friday Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, ending the almost 50-year-old constitutional right to an abortion, as the right-wing has long threatened to do. Previously silent studios from some of the biggest names in gaming are suddenly speaking out on the subject, with at least one, Bungie, PlayStation Studio, openly denouncing the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Court removed fundamental protection measures for bodily autonomy, abortion, and personal privacy in a landmark 6-3 decision, rejecting many of the legal justifications that had previously been offered for those protections.
PlayStation Studio Opens Up About Roe Being Overturned
The majority opinion was written by several Republican Justices who had previously testified under oath that Roe was settled law. States are now free to pass laws prohibiting abortion, and in states like Texas where so-called “trigger laws” were in force, these laws have already taken effect. Following the decision, the studio announced it will now put in place a travel reimbursement scheme to assist staff in getting whatever reproductive or gender-affirming medical treatment they require, even if such care is illegal in the staff member’s home state.
PlayStation Studio’s new remote-work strategy means that not all of its developers live in Washington, where there are certain state-level safeguards for abortion. While the creator of Destiny 2 has consistently expressed their opinions on political matters, other companies are doing so for the first time, and some are pledging to provide staff financial assistance. As the nation’s political institutions fall short of the occasion or continue to be dominated by the minority, more and more Americans are asking their employers about these two issues.
The wall of quiet now appears to be crumbling. Naughty Dog, Sony San Diego, Sony Santa Monica, Sucker Punch, Sony Bend, and Guerrilla Games, other PlayStation Studios, have begun to voice their opinions as of late.
